1. Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to a composition for inducing lipolysis comprising phosphatidylcholine and a preparation method thereof. More particularly, exemplary embodiments relate to a composition for lipolysis comprising 2-12% (w/v) of phosphatidylcholine, 5-12% (w/v) of an oily solvent, and a balance of water wherein % (w/v) is based on the total composition.
2. Discussion of the Background
Phosphatidylcholines are a class of phospholipids that contain choline as a head group. They are widely present in animals, plants, yeasts and fungi, and are also known as lecithin. They are the membrane phospholipids of mammals and are found mainly in brains, nerves, blood cells, egg yolks and the like. In plants, phosphatidylcholines are found in soybeans, sunflower seeds, wheat germs and the like. Phosphatidylcholines generally contain saturated fatty acid at position 1 of glycerol and unsaturated fatty acid at position 2 of glycerol.
There exist around 20 billion adipocytes in the body of a mammalian animal including humans which function to store or release energy. There are complex mechanisms of regulating energy storage and release in the adipocytes. When a supply for energy is much larger than its demand, energy is stored as a form of triglycerides which are in turn decomposed into glycerol and free fatty acids for use in case of energy depletion. However, adipocytes are greatly accumulated in people of the modern time who over-consume energies and lack physical activities. Especially, spending a large amount time in a sitting position causes an inclination of a localized accumulation of fats in a specific area of body such as the abdomen or the lower limbs. Hence, there is an urgent need for a substance which is excellent in inducing lipolysis, particularly, inducing a localized lipolysis.
Polyene phosphatidylcholine, which have long been used as an agent for treating liver disorders and fat embolism, is also utilized as a main component in injectable formulations for inducing a localized lipolysis for cosmetic and plastic purposes. However, it has been reported that the effect of the injectable formulation in inducing a localized lipolysis was caused by sodium deoxycholate used as a solubilizer which induces inflammation in adipose tissues and leads to the death of adipocytes, not by polyene phosphatidylcholine used as a main component (See Rotunda A M, Suzuki H, Moy R L, Kolodney M., Detergent effects of sodium deoxycholate are a major feature of an injectable phophatidylcholine formulation used for localized fat dissolution. Dermatol Surg 30(7):1001-8(2004)). However, the local administration of sodium deoxycholate has received serious complaints from both patients and physicians since it damages musculoskeletal cells as well as adipocytes, along with such adverse side-effects as erythema, edema, bruise, hematoma and pain. Further, a formulation containing a large amount, i.e. 93% or more, of polyene phosphatidylcholine is a wax-like phase solid material which per se is insoluble in water. Hence, sodium deoxycholate was added as a solubilizer to prepare an intravenously injectable formulation. However, due to the report regarding sodium deoxycholate's side-effects upon its local administration, there is an urgent need for the development of a phosphatidylcholine-containing, water-soluble injectable formulation which contains no sodium deoxycholate with the reduction of its side-effects and possesses a similar effectiveness to the above-mentioned injectable formulation.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the inventive concept, and, therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.